Monday, September 30, 2013

The Shupe Homestead lies only a few miles from the recently flood ravaged town of Lyons, Colorado. Naturally I was quite relieved to hear that the venue was still standing, relatively undamaged and most of all that the owners, who live on site, were doing well despite having at least a foot of water flowing through the building.

It only took a few days for the venue to bounce back and begin hosting wedding receptions once again. The bride the past Saturday told me that the owners are even donating remaining open dates to people who have had to relocate receptions due to flooding.

Although I have only worked at Shupe Homestead a few times it is quickly becoming one of my favorite venues in here in Colorado.

Note: Music for my radio show is in no way a reflection of what I typically play at a wedding. I strive to play more local and obscure music on the radio, weddings and events usually call for much more party friendly songs that will get people dancing.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Hiring an experienced Wedding DJ is very important for the success of your event. Weddings are a very different kind of event and require a certain approach in order to entertain a crowd of people with ages from 5 - 105 years of age. DJ's who are inexperienced with weddings can make a multitude of mistakes which can cause your guests to start running for the door.

Experienced Wedding DJ's
- Can deliver high energy introductions
- Always use edited versions of popular music
- Know how to play a wide range of music
- Can work your requests into the mix of music
- Have the ability to adapt to changing conditions
- Can offer suggestions on order of events
- Know what to play and when
- Are willing to help in whatever way is needed
- Have backup equipment
- Are always looking for ways to improve

Friday, September 20, 2013

2013 had me doing more youth dances than ever before, Elementary Schools, Jr and Sr High Schools too! I am looking forward to even more late in the year and of course 2014. Here is a video with some select highlights from the Senior High School dances this year.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Here is the first video featuring examples of what ceremony music sets I will be offering to my wedding clients. This is the first step towards my plan to create a companion page on my website to better explain and lay out all the many great options people have when planning a reception.

Flooding here in Colorado over this past week has led to evacuations and major damage across the Colorado Front Range. This has led to not just travel delays and challenges but sadly loss of life and property. With safety in mind many people have had to scramble to make changes in wedding plans and arrangements.

Yesterday a call came in from a bride who needed a DJ that same day. Her DJ who had been hired months ago was not able to make it out of his home due to flooding conditions in his area. The Bride could see from the list of booked dates on my website that I wasn't booked (the only saturday in September), luckily my area has not been greatly affected and I had safe roads to and from Highland Meadows Golf Club in Windsor, Colorado.

She shot me an email listing the music that they wanted and just a few hours later I was there ready for the party. The event really came together in a pinch and I think the circumstances were soon forgotten, if only for a few hours. Stay safe Colorado!

Thursday, September 12, 2013

The Anniversary Dance can be a fun way to acknowledge all of the married couples in attendance at your reception. It can also have a very nice ending when I briefly ask the last two or three couples to give any advice or share something that they have learned over the years. Please see the video below to get an idea of how this special event flows and how much fun people are having with this.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Hiring a professional DJ should mean that you are allowing them to choose what music to play and when. If you have chosen somebody with experience and knowledge then you should be trusting in them to draw on what they know to rock the party.

With that being said, it is also vital that you give your DJ a list of songs or artists that YOU and your family are likely to enjoy. This gives me a starting point to engineer a unique reception that is tailor made for you and your crowd. I have sections in my online planning form for 15 high priority songs (15 is about how many songs I can play in an hour) as well as space for as many other requests as you wish to make.

I pride myself on playing amazing music that is not typically heard at weddings but fits the dynamic of the crowd and really draws people into the event making the energy skyrocket. Guest requests are a big part of what can make this possible.

I like to go around to the tables during cocktail hour or dinner to introduce myself and ask for requests. This opens the door for great input and clues me in to what they will respond to on the dance floor.

Your guests will remember how much fun they had at your reception long after all else is forgotten. Don't forget to add those music requests, they are what will make your reception not just unique but totally unforgettable.

Monday, September 9, 2013

The Yawpers is “A stripped down, brazen rock and roll band from Colorado, accompanied by over-driven acoustic guitars and a trap kit. Inspired by Whitman’s promise to “sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world,” the Yawpers have created a sound that is equal parts frenetic, earnest, and menacing, all while bringing together disparate pieces of the American musical lexicon. Though less than two years old, the Yawpers have played over 200 shows on both coasts, and everywhere in between, and have shared the stage with: the Heartless Bastards, the Black Angels, Cracker, the Nadas, the Supersuckers, Quiet Corral, the Delta Spirit, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, the Stone Foxes, Joe Buck and many others. Following the release of an EP in 2011, their critcally well received LP, “Capon Crusade”, released in late 2012, debuted at #1 on the Colorado Music Charts, and is now in its second printing.”

Led by dynamic young singer-songwriter Nate Cook and guitarist Jesse Parmet, emerging Boulder trio The Yawpers (named after Walt Whitman’s promise to “sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world”) recall a grittier version of Wilco, with as much raw country sensibility as twisted indie imagination.

Equally akin to Deer Tick, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan and Elvis, The Yawpers give a fresh blend of alt-country and rock ‘n’ roll. Their debut full-length album, Capon Crusade, is available online and in stores.”

Saturday, September 7, 2013

It is VERY rare that I get to see other DJ's in action. I watch photographers, planners, videographers, caterers and venue staff at work and in action all the time. Getting to see another DJ in action is very rare for me. In the industry we do have conventions and trade publications which provide us with ideas and give us a clue as to what is trending and how DJ's might be doing certain things. The catch for this is this; I have to rely on what they tell me, I am not able to see these professionals in action. I have to apply my judgement based on my experience as to whether or not something will work for me and the clients I serve. I could always just take their word for it. I don't like that. In fact most people wouldn't like this when something as important as life long memories are at stake.

I want to see and I want to know what these things look like when applied in the real world. I think that you should too! Trusting in advertising slogans and promises will not insure a successful event. You need to know what you are getting and you need to know that is a good fit for your personality and for the personality of the event itself. It is that simple. This my reasoning behind getting video clips of me in action. You get to hear my voice and get to see how events flow into one another without needing to been at an actual event. Of course it's even better if we happen to cross paths and be at a party where you get to see how much fun everyone is having with your own eyes. Until then, there is always Youtube.